Closure latch



April 30, 1968 L. W. ROGERS, JR

CLOSURE LATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 29, 1966 ATTORNEY April 30, 1968 L w. ROGERS, JR 3,380,771

CLOSURE LATCH Filed April 29, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,389,771 CLOSURE LATCH Lloyd W. Rogers, Jr., East Detroit, Mich., assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 546,415 9 Claims. (Cl. 292201) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automobile door latch structure having a detent biased to retain a keeper-operated latch in keeper-engaging position, in which a solenoid-operated blocking lever is biased to a detent-blocking position and movable to a nonblocking position, wherein the lever engages and frees the detent from the latch. The latch when thus freed engages and prevents the lever from returning to detentblocking position.

Specification This invention relates to closure latches and more particularly to vehicle body door latches.

One feature of this invention is that it provides a vehicle body door latch having blocking means for blocking movement of detent means out of holding engagement with the latch bolt. Another feature is that the blocking means are located either in blocking or unblocking positions with respect to the detent means by cooperating means on the blocking means and the bolt. A further feature is that the blocking means include a blocking lever for blocking the detent means located in unblocking position by engagement with a surface of the bolt which is of predetermined extent and is movable out of engagement therewith when the bolt moves to latched position to permit the blocking lever to move to blocking position. Still another feature is that the blocking lever is resiliently biased to blocking position and is located in blocking position against the biasing means by means of engagement of the lever with the detent means. Still a further feature is that the blocking lever is pivotally mounted for movement transverse of the plane of movemerit of the detent means and any engagement of the detent means and blocking lever rotates the blocking lever about its axis in a direction tending to hold the lever in engagement with the detent means.

Yet another feature of this invention is that it provides a vehicle body door latch having unitary blocking means and detent release means. A further feature is that the detent release means include means cooperable with the detent for releasing the detent upon movement of the blocking means to an unblocking position with respect thereto. Yet a further feature is that the cooperating means between the detent release means and the detent provide an initially large mechanical advantage which gradually decreases as the blocking means and detent move to their respective unblocking and released positions.

These and other features of the closure latch of this invention will be readily apparent from the following specification and drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a partial side elevational view of a vehicle body embodying a door latch according to this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 33 of FIGURE 2 and showing the latch in door closed position;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 showing the latch in door open position;

3,389,771 Patented Apr. 30, 1968 FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 5-5 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a partially broken away perspective view.

Referring now particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a vehicle body designated generally 10 includes a front door 12 hinged adjacent its forward edge 14 on the body 10 for movement between a closed position as shown and an open position, not shown, to provide access to the interior of the body. A closure latch 16 according to this invention is mounted on the rear wall or lock pillar face of door 12 for cooperating engagement with striker means 1%, FIGURE 2, mounted on an adjacent body pillar structure 24] to hold the door 12 in closed position.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 through 6 of the drawings, latch 16 includes a support plate 22 provided with a number of tapped embossments 24. The plate 22 abuts against the inner surface of the rear wall 26 of door 12 and is secured thereto by bolts extending through wall 26 and into the embossments 24.

An auxiliary plate 36 is located in spaced relationship to the plate 22 and secured thereto by lateral tabs or flanges 32 and 34 which are staked to the plate 22.

A bolt designated generally 36 is pivotally mounted on a pin 38 which extends between and is staked to the plates 22 and 30. A coil torsion spring 40 encircles pin 38, with one end of the spring being hooked over a lateral tab 42 of the bolt and the other end of the spring being fitted within a slot in pin 38. Spring 49 continually biases bolt 36 clockwise from latched position, as shown in FIG- URES 3 and 6, to unlatched position, as shown in FIG- URE 4, wherein the bolt is located against the action of spring 49 by the engagement of tab 42 of the bolt with a lateral tab 44 of plate 30.

The bolt 36 is held in latched position by a detent designated generally 48. The detent 48 is pivotally mounted on a pin 50 which extends between and is staked to the plates 22 and 30. A coil torsion spring 52 surrounds the pin 59. One end 54 of the spring is hooked within an opening in a flange 56 of plate 22 and the other end of the spring is hooked over a lateral tab 58 of the detent to bias the detent counterclockwise about pin 56. The detent includes a shoulder or foot 6% which is engageable with a shoulder 51 of the bolt 36 to hold the bolt in fully latched position as shown in FIGURES 3 and 6. The shoulder '50 of the detent 48 is also selectively and alternately engageable with another shoulder 62 of the bolt 36 to hold the bolt in an intermediate or so-called safety latched position, not shown.

A foot or arm 6 of the detent 43 extends outwardly through an opening 66 provided by spaced flanges as and 79 of plate 22. The engagement of the foot 64 with the upper edge of the flange 79, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 6, loca es the detent 48 with respect to the bolt 36 in the latched position of the bolt to thereby locate the extent of engagement of the foot 61} of the detent with the shoulder 61 of the bolt.

A unitary blocking and detent release member designated generally 72 is pivotally mounted on a pin "1'4 which extends laterally and inwardly of the flange 68 of plate 22. The member 72 includes a depending arm or portion 76 and a laterally extending arm or portion 7%. The portion 78 is provided with a notched lateral tab 84} and a coil torsion spring 32. surrounding the pin 74 engages both the plate 22. and the notched tab 853 to bias member 72 clockwise about the pin 74 as viewed in FIG URES Z and 6. When the bolt is in latched position as shown in FIGURE 3, portion 78 engages arm 64 of detent 48 to locate member 72 against the bias of spring 32. The depending portion of the member 72 includes 3 a laterally extending blocking tab 84, FIGURE 2, and a laterally extending sensing tab '86, FIGURE 6.

When the bolt 36 is in fully latched position, as shown in FIGURE 3, the blocking tab 84 of member 72 overlies the foot 64 of the detent 48 while the sensing tab 86 of the member 72 is located below foot 69 immediately adjacent shoulder 61. If for any reason the detent 48 should be moved clockwise independently of movement of member 72, the foot 64 of the detent will engage the tab 84. It will be noted with reference to FIGURE 2, that the foot 6-4 will engage the tab 84 to the left of pivot 74. This will try and rotate the member 72 clockwise about the pivot 74. However, the engagement of portion 76 with foot 64 blocks such movement and thereby blocks movement of the detent 48 to a released position with respect to the bolt 35.

When the bolt is in an unlatched position as shown in FIGURE 4, the shoulder 69 of the detent 48 engages the edge 83 of an extension or arm 9% of bolt 36. The sensing tab 86 of the member 72 engages the surface of arm 99 to locate the member '72 slightly counterclockwise of its position shown in FIGURE 2. This locates the tab 84 out of the path of movement of the foot 64 of the detent and generally in a position immediately adjacent or in engagement with the surface of this detent foot.

When the bolt 36 is in an intermediate latched position, the foot 69 of the detent engages the shoulder 62. The detent arm 64 is located generally in the position shown in FIGURE 6, in engagement with the edge of the flange '76 to fix the extent of engagement of the foot 6! with the shoulder 62. The sensing tab 36 of member 72 engages the surface of arm 96 of the bolt to locate the member 72 in the position shown in FIGURE 4 wherein tab 34 is out of the path of movement of foot 64.

As best shown in FIGURE 6, portion 73 of member 72 is provided with a tapered cam surface 92 which is generally arcuate both longitudinally and laterally of the portion '78. A lateral tab of the detent 4 3 has a portion 94 which overlies the surface 92. When the bolt is in latched position, as shown in FIGURE 2, the rearward edge 95 of the tab 94 engages the surface 92 adjacent the pin 74. When the bolt 36 is in an nnlatched position as shown in FIGURE 4, the surface 92 is in spaced relationship to the tab 94.

A conventional solenoid 95 is mounted on the plate 22 by having the tabs 93 of a solenoid mounted bracket 109 riveted to the flange 79 of plate 22. The armature or plunger 102 ofthe solenoid is located underneath the portion 78 of member 72 adjacent the other end thereof.

When it is desired to move the detent 48 out of engagement with bolt 36 to permit the bolt to move to unlatched position, the solenoid $6 is energized to extend the armature 192, The engagement of the armature with the undersurface of the portion 78 will swing the member 72 counterclockwise about the pin 74, as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 6. This will move the tab 8% out of overlying relationship to the foot =54 of the detent while simultaneously moving the tab 86 out of the path of bolt shoulder 61. The engagement of surface 92 with tab 94 will swing detent 48 clockwise, as viewed in FIGURES 3 and 6, about the pivot to move the foot of the detent out of engagement with the shoulder 61 of bolt 36 and permit spring 40 to move the bolt to unlatched position.

The initial mechanical advantage between the surface 92 and the tab 94 is the relationship of the distance between the point of engagement of the armature 1%2 with the portion 78 and the pin 74 divided by the distance between the pin 74- and the point of engagement of the edge 95 of tab 94 with the surface 92. This mechanical advantage gradually decreases and becomes negative as the point of engagement of cam surface 92 with tab 94 moves outwardly toward the outer edge of tab 94 to move the detent out of engagement with the bolt 36. By having the initial mechanical advantage as large as possible, the initially high frictional forces between foot 6% and shoulder 61 are easily overcome and a smaller size solenoid can be used. Since the frictional forces decrease once foot 60 starts to move out of engagement with shoulder 61, the mechanical advantage can decrease.

The striker means 18 generally comprises a headed pin 194 mounted on the pillar structure 20 of the body. The bolt 36 is of generally fork shape and includes a throat 106 for receiving the shank of the pin 194 in the latched position of the bolt and closed position of the door, as shown in FIGURES 3, 5 and 6. The plate 22 and a lateral flange 1G8 thereof are provided with a cutout 110 to provide for entry of the striker pin into the plate 22. The wall 25 and inner wall of door 12 are provided with a cutout which aligns with cutout 110.

As the door moves to closed position, the shank of the striker pin will initially engage the edge 112 of the bolt throat to swing the bolt counterclockwise about the pin 38. Approximately at the time that the detent shoulder 60 engages the bolt shoulder 62 in the intermediate latched position of the bolt, the head of the striker pin will engage the inboard depending leg 114 of a nylon or similar plastic material shoe 116. Shoe 116 is pivotally mounted on a pin 118 which extends inwardly of the plate 30. A coil tension spring 120 is hooked between an apertured ear of the shoe and a notched tab 122 of plate 36 to bias the shoe counterclockwise about the pin 118. The limits of travel of the shoe are delineated by a lateral lanced tab 124 of plate 30 engaging the ends of an arcuate groove 126 provided in the shoe.

When the bolt moves from intermediate latched position to fully latched position, the shank of the striker pin is wedged against the base of throat 106 by the engagement of the head of the pin with the body of the shoe adjacent leg 114.

Thus, this invention provides an improved vehicle body door latch.

I claim:

1. A closure latch comprising, in combination, a latch bolt movable between latched and unlatched positions, movable detent means engageable with said bolt to hold said bolt in the latched position thereof, blocking means movable between a blocking position, wherein said blocking means is located in the path of said detent means to block movement thereof out of engagement with said bolt, and an unblocking position wherein said blocking means is located out of the path of movement of said detent means to permit movement thereof out of engagement with said bolt, means normally locating said blocking means in the blocking position thereof, and cooperating means on said blocking means and on said bolt operative in any position of said bolt other than the latched position thereof to maintain said blocking means in unblocking position and prevent movement thereof to blocking position under the action of said locating means.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said cooperating means includes a surface of predetermined extent on said bolt and a portion of said blocking means engageable with said surface to maintain said blocking means in unblocking position, said bolt surface moving relative to said blocking means portion and out of engagement therewith upon movement of said bolt to latched position to permit said blocking means to move to blocking position.

3. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said bolt surface terminates at an edge portion, a portion of which is engageable by an edge portion of said detent means to hold saidbolt in latched position, said blocking means portion being located adjacent said bolt edge portion in the latched position of said bolt.

4. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said detent means is mounted on support means for planar movement relative to said bolt, said blocking means including a lever pivotally mounted on said support means for movement transverse of the plane of movement of said etent means and including a first portion located in adjncent spaced relationship to an edge portion of said detent means when said blocking lever is in blocking position to block movement of said detent means out of engagement with said bolt, said locating means including resilient means biasing said lever toward blocking position and a second portion on said blocking lever engageable with said detent means under the action of said resilient means to locate said blocking lever in blocking position.

5. The combination recited in claim 4 wherein said detent means edge portion is engageable with said first portion of said blocking lever to one side of the pivotal axis of said blocking lever to bias said lever about the pivotal axis thereof in a direction tending to hold said secend portion of said blocking lever in engagement with said detent means.

6. The combination recited in claim 4 wherein said blocking lever includes spaced lateral extensions located to each side of said first portion thereof and projecting toward the plane of movement of said detent means, said first lateral extension being engageable with a surface of predetermined extent of said bolt to maintain said blocking means in unblocking position, said second lateral extension providing said blocking lever second portion.

7. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said detent means includes a lever pivotally mounted on sup- Y blocking lever toward blocking position, said blocking lever portion being engageable with said detent lever to locate said blocking lever in blocking position against the action of said resilient means, one of said extensions being located in adjacent spaced relationship to one edge portion of said detent lever when said blocking lever is in blocking position, said other extension being located in adjacent spaced relationship to another edge portion of said detent lever and being engageable with a surface of predetermined extent on said bolt to maintain said blocking lever in unblocking position in any position thereof other than the latched position thereof.

8. The combination recited in claim 1 including means on said blocking means engageable with means on said detent means to move said detent means out of holding engagement with said bolt upon movement of said blocking means to unblocking position.

9. The combination recited in claim 8 wherein said cooperating means provides a decreasing mechanical advantage as said blocking means and detent means, respectively, move to unblocking position and out of engagement with said bolt, and operating means engageable with said blocking means for moving said blocking means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,031,738 2/1936 Schoch 292-210 X 2,738,212 3/1956 \Vise 292-280 3,122,388 2/1964 Powers 292--201 X RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner. 

